arXiv subjects

Tadayuki Takahashi

Publications and source records attributed to Tadayuki Takahashi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

SpaceWire-based Data Acquisition Network for the Solar Flare Sounding Rocket Experiment FOXSI-4 and FOXSI-5

We developed a SpaceWire-based data acquisition (DAQ) system for the FOXSI-4 and FOXSI-5 sounding rocket experiments, which aim to observe solar flares with high sensitivity and dynamic range using direct X-ray focusing optics. The FOXSI-4 mission, launched on April 17, 2024, achieved the first direct focusing observation of a GOES M1.6 class solar flare with imaging spectroscopy capabilities in the soft and hard X-ray energy ranges, using a suite of advanced detectors, including two CMOS sensors, four CdTe double-sided strip detectors (CdTe-DSDs), and a Quad-Timepix3 detector. To accommodate the high photon flux from a solar flare and these diverse detector types, a modular DAQ network architecture was implemented based on SpaceWire and the Remote Memory Access Protocol (RMAP). This modular architecture enabled fast, reliable, and scalable communication among various onboard components, including detectors, readout boards, onboard computers, and telemetry systems. In addition, by standardizing the communication interface and modularizing each detector unit and its associated electronics, the architecture also supported distributed development among collaborating institutions, simplifying integration and reducing overall complexity. To realize this architecture, we developed FPGA-based readout boards (SPMU-001 and SPMU-002) that support SpaceWire communication for high-speed data transfer and flexible instrument control. In addition, a real-time ground support system was developed to handle telemetry and command operations during flight, enabling live monitoring and adaptive configuration of onboard instruments in response to the properties of the observed solar flare. The same architecture is being adopted for the upcoming FOXSI-5 mission, scheduled for launch in 2026.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

Signal processing and data acquisition system for the BTO detectors onboard COSI

The energy range from a few hundred keV to a few MeV includes important probes such as nuclear gamma-rays and the 511 keV annihilation line. However, compared to X-rays and GeV/TeV gamma-rays, this range suffers from lower sensitivity by orders of magnitude. The upcoming NASA SMEX satellite mission Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI), scheduled for launch in 2027, is expected to break through this limitation with its Compton telescope utilizing a germanium semiconductor detector, covering the 0.2-5 MeV energy range. In addition to the main instrument, two Background and Transient Observer (BTO) detectors will be installed on COSI. The detectors are NaI(Tl) scintillators coupled with SiPMs, and they are being developed as a student collaboration project. BTO aims to 1) measure background radiation in orbit to maximize COSI's sensitivity and 2) detect GRBs and other gamma-ray transients. For this purpose, it is required to cover the lower-energy range from 30 keV to 2 MeV with < 20% FWHM energy resolution. In addition, large signals and afterglow generated by heavy ions penetrating the NaI(Tl) crystal should be appropriately handled. To address these requirements, we have developed a compact signal processing and data acquisition system comprised of two main components: an analog board and a digital board. The analog board amplifies signals from the SiPM, generates triggers, and performs AD conversion. The digital board features a Microchip SAMV71 microcontroller, and we developed the software to control the analog board, read ADC data via SPI interface, add timestamps, and buffer event data. Through this development, we achieved the required wide bandpass and an energy resolution of 10% FWHM at 662 keV with a processing time of 20 us per event. We also implemented veto signal generation for large signals using a discriminator and an onboard detection algorithm for transient events.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

First-principles response simulation of wide-gap CdTe-DSDs for the FOXSI solar sounding rocket experiment

We have developed a wide-gap CdTe double-sided strip detector (CdTe-DSD) for the fourth and fifth flights of the Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager sounding rocket experiment (FOXSI-4/FOXSI-5). This detector features a 30 um strip width and a variable gap width from 30 um to 70 um, enabling position resolution finer than the strip pitch by inducing charge sharing across adjacent strip electrodes and utilizing this shared energy information for position reconstruction. However, this wide-gap configuration introduces complex detector responses, such as charge loss in the gap regions and electric field distortion near the electrodes, requiring a more advanced modeling approach for interpreting observation results in FOXSI-4/FOXSI-5 and for further optimization of future detector design. To address these complexities, we have constructed a first-principles simulation framework to model the detector response. The simulation integrates Geant4-based Monte Carlo simulations of energy deposition, finite element calculations of electric and weighting fields using COMSOL Multiphysics, charge transport modeling incorporating trapping and diffusion, and calculation of the induced charge on the electrodes based on the Shockley-Ramo theorem. By introducing a surface conductive layer, which causes electric field distortion, the model successfully reproduces the experimentally observed charge loss on the cathode side. In addition, the model reproduces the distinct charge sharing behavior on the cathode and anode sides. These results validate the effectiveness of the model in characterizing the wide-gap CdTe-DSD.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

Light WIMPs and MeV Gamma-ray Detection with COSI

Light weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), whose masses are in the sub-GeV scale, have been attracting more attention due to the negative results searching for traditional WIMPs. The light WIMPs are expected to produce gamma rays from annihilation in the MeV energy region. Advancements in technology have opened up possibilities to precisely detect MeV gamma rays, leading to the upcoming space-based mission of the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI). We comprehensively and quantitatively study the phenomenology of light WIMPs to determine if the COSI observations will probe their viable model parameter regions. We first construct models to describe light WIMPs based on the minimality and renormalizability of quantum field theory. Next, we impose various constraints on the models obtained from cosmological observations (CMB, BBN) and dark matter searches (accelerator, underground, astrophysical experiments, etc.). Finally, we identify viable parameter regions in each model and discuss whether or not COSI will be sensitive to the parameter regions. We find that a velocity-dependent annihilation cross-section is predicted in some regions, enabling COSI to detect the dark matter signal while avoiding severe constraints from cosmological observations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Enhancing Compton telescope imaging with maximum a posteriori estimation: a modified Richardson-Lucy algorithm for the Compton Spectrometer and Imager

We present a modified Richardson-Lucy (RL) algorithm tailored for image reconstruction in MeV gamma-ray observations, focusing on its application to the upcoming Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) mission. Our method addresses key challenges in MeV gamma-ray astronomy by incorporating Bayesian priors for sparseness and smoothness while optimizing background components simultaneously. We introduce a novel sparsity term suitable for Poisson-sampled data in addition to a smoothness prior, allowing for flexible reconstruction of both point sources and extended emission. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated using simulated three-month COSI observations of gamma-ray lines of $^{44}$Ti (1.157 MeV), $^{26}$Al (1.809 MeV), and positron annihilation (0.511 MeV), respectively, representing various spatial features. Our results demonstrate significant improvements over conventional RL methods, particularly in suppressing artificial structures in point source reconstructions and retaining diffuse spatial structures. This work represents an important step towards establishing a robust data analysis for studying nucleosynthesis, positron annihilation, and other high-energy phenomena in our Galaxy.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

Imaging and Spectral Performance of a Wide-gap CdTe Double-Sided Strip Detector

The fourth flight of the Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager sounding rocket experiment (FOXSI-4) aimed to achieve the first imaging spectroscopic observations of mid-to-large class ( >= GOES C5 class) solar flares, in contrast to the previous three flights that targeted relatively quiet regions of the Sun. To meet the emerging requirements for hard X-ray focal plane detectors for providing simultaneous diagnostics of spectrally (<1 keV FWHM) and spatially (<50 um) separated coronal and chromospheric emissions from solar flares, we developed a new strip-configuration detector called the wide-gap CdTe semiconductor double-sided strip detector (CdTe-DSD). The wide-gap CdTe-DSD employs a unique design principle to enhance position resolution. This enhancement is realized by expanding the gaps between electrodes to induce charge-sharing across adjacent strip electrodes and using this sharing energy information for position reconstruction to a level finer than the strip-pitch. However, the detector response becomes complex and requires consideration of various factors, such as the charge loss due to wider gaps and the dependence on the depth of photon interaction. Thus, we developed an energy reconstruction method that fully leverages the energy information between adjacent strips and from both the cathode and anode sides, achieving an energy resolution of 0.75 keV (FWHM) at 14 keV. Furthermore, we conducted an X-ray scanning experiment using a synchrotron beam at Spring-8 to evaluate the detector response with a fine scale of 10 um. Based on these results, we established a sub-strip position reconstruction method, demonstrating that X-rays interacting at the center of the gap can be determined with an accuracy of 20 um, and even those at the strip center can be determined with an accuracy of 50 um.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

A Study of Afterglow Signatures in NaI and CsI Scintillator Modules for the Background and Transient Observer Instrument on COSI

We present measurements of the afterglow signatures in NaI(Tl) and CsI(Tl) detector modules as part of the Background and Transient Observer (BTO) mission detector trade-study. BTO is a NASA Student Collaboration Project flying on the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) Small Explorer mission in 2027. The detectors utilized in this study are cylindrical in shape with a height and diameter of 5.1 cm and were read out by silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). We conducted a radiation campaign at the HIMAC accelerator in Japan where the scintillators were irradiated with a 230 MeV/u helium beam (He beam) and 350 MeV/u carbon beam (C beam). We find that both the CsI and NaI scintillators exhibit afterglow signatures when irradiated with the C and He beams. The CsI crystal exhibits a stronger afterglow intensity with afterglow pulses occurring for an average 2.40 ms for C and 0.9 ms for He after the initial particle pulse. The duration of afterglow pulses in CsI is 8.6x and 5.6x the afterglow signal duration in NaI for C and He (0.28 ms and 0.16 ms, respectively). Although CsI has advantages such as a higher light yield and radiation hardness, the stronger afterglows in the CsI detector increase the complexity of the electronics and lead to a ~7x larger dead time per afterglow event or a ~3x higher energy threshold value. We use the measured dead times to predict the amount of observing time lost to afterglow-inducing events for an instrument like BTO in low Earth orbit. We simulate the background rates in a BTO-like orbit and find a total value of 114 counts/s for the full two-detector system. Based on the particle energies in the HIMAC experiment, we then determine that an event with sufficient energy to produce an afterglow signal occurs once every ~70 s and ~1.4 s in NaI and CsI detectors, respectively. Thus, we conclude that NaI is the better choice for the BTO mission.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

The energy dependence of cluster size and its physical processes in the proton measurement with TimePix3 silicon detector

We investigated the energy dependence of the number of triggered pixels, or cluster size, when charged particles are detected using the TimePix3 detector with a silicon sensor. We measured protons in the range of 1.5~3.3 MeV from a Pelletron accelerator at RIKEN using a TimePix3 detector with a 500 um-thick silicon sensor. We determined from the experimental results a cluster size comprised between 30 and 80 pixels. To understand the physical process that produces large cluster images and its energy dependence, we simulated the charge carrier drifts in the sensor, assuming the incidence of a proton in the detector. The cluster sizes estimated in the simulation were smaller than those observed in the experiment, and remained constant across the entire energy range, when thermal diffusion and charge carriers self-repulsion were considered as the factors of the cluster image formation. In addition, we discovered that the size of the cluster image and its energy dependence observed in the experiment could be well explained when considering that the TimePix3 detector is sensitive to the transient induced charges, allowing even pixels that do not collect the charge carriers to trigger. We conclude that the cluster size measurement is a promising method for evaluating the energy deposited by a charged particle in the TimePix3 detector.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2024

Across the soft gamma-ray regime: utilizing simultaneous detections in the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) and the Background and Transient Observer (BTO) to understand astrophysical transients

The Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) is a NASA funded Small Explorer (SMEX) mission slated to launch in 2027. COSI will house a wide-field gamma-ray telescope designed to survey the entire sky in the 0.2--5 MeV range. Using germanium detectors, the instrument will provide imaging, spectroscopy, and polarimetry of astrophysical sources with excellent energy resolution and degree-scale localization capabilities. In addition to the main instrument, COSI will fly with a student collaboration project known as the Background and Transient Observer (BTO). BTO will extend the COSI bandpass to energies lower than 200 keV, thus enabling spectral analysis across the shared band of 30 keV--2 MeV range. The BTO instrument will consist of two NaI scintillators and student-designed readout electronics. Using spectral information from both the COSI and BTO instruments, physics such as the energy peak turnover in gamma-ray bursts, the characteristics of magnetar flares, and the event frequency of a range of transient phenomena will be constrained. In this paper, we present the expected science returnables from BTO and comment on the shared returnables from the COSI and BTO missions. We include simulations of gamma-ray bursts, magnetar giant flares, and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes using BTO's spectral response. Additionally, we estimate BTO's gamma-ray burst detection rate and find that BTO will detect ~150 gamma-ray bursts per year, with most of these events being long bursts.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

On the X-ray efficiency of the white dwarf pulsar candidate ZTF J190132.9+145808.7

Strongly magnetized, rapidly rotating massive white dwarfs (WDs) emerge as potential outcomes of double degenerate mergers. These WDs can act as sources of non-thermal emission and cosmic rays, gethering attention as WD pulsars. In this context, we studied the X-ray emissions from ZTF J190132.9+145808.7 (hereafter ZTF J1901+14), a notable massive isolated WD in the Galaxy, using the Chandra X-ray observatory. Our results showed 3.5sigma level evidence of X-ray signals, although it is marginal. Under the assumption of a photon index of 2, we derived its intrinsic flux to be 2.3 (0.9--4.7) $\times 10^{-15}$~erg~cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ and luminosity 4.6 (2.0--9.5) $\times 10^{26}$~erg~s$^{-1}$ for a 0.5--7 keV band in the 90% confidence range, given its distance of 41 pc. We derived an X-ray efficiency (eta) concerning the spin-down luminosity to be 0.012 (0.0022--0.074), a value comparable to that of ordnary neutron star pulsars. The inferred X-ray luminosity may be compatible with curvature radiation from sub-TeV electrons accelerated within open magnetic fields in the magnetosphere of ZTF J1901+14. Conducting more extensive X-ray observations is crucial to confirm whether ZTF J1901+14-like isolated WDs are also significant sources of X-rays and sub-TeV electron cosmic rays, similar to other WD pulsars in accreting systems.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

FOXSI-2: Upgrades of the Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager for its Second Flight

The Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager (FOXSI) sounding rocket payload flew for the second time on 2014 December 11. To enable direct Hard X-Ray (HXR) imaging spectroscopy, FOXSI makes use of grazing-incidence replicated focusing optics combined with fine-pitch solid-state detectors. FOXSI's first flight provided the first HXR focused images of the Sun. For FOXSI's second flight several updates were made to the instrument including updating the optics and detectors as well as adding a new Solar Aspect and Alignment System (SAAS). This paper provides an overview of these updates as well as a discussion of their measured performance.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2023

2-mm-Thick Large-Area CdTe Double-sided Strip Detectors for High-Resolution Spectroscopic Imaging of X-ray and Gamma-ray with Depth-Of-Interaction Sensing

We developed a 2-mm-thick CdTe double-sided strip detector (CdTe-DSD) with a 250 um strip pitch, which has high spatial resolution with a uniform large imaging area of 10 cm$^2$ and high energy resolution with high detection efficiency in tens to hundreds keV. The detector can be employed in a wide variety of fields for quantitative observations of hard X-ray and soft gamma-ray with spectroscopic imaging, for example, space observation, nuclear medicine, and non-destructive elemental analysis. This detector is thicker than the 0.75-mm-thick one previously developed by a factor of $\sim$2.7, thus providing better detection efficiency for hard X-rays and soft gamma rays. The increased thickness could potentially enhance bias-induced polarization if we do not apply sufficient bias and if we do not operate at a low temperature, but the polarization is not evident in our detector when a high voltage of 500 V is applied to the CdTe diode and the temperature is maintained at -20 $^\circ$C during one-day experiments. The ''Depth Of Interaction'' (DOI) dependence due to the CdTe diode's poor carrier-transport property is also more significant, resulting in much DOI information while complicated detector responses such as charge sharings or low-energy tails that exacerbate the loss in the energy resolution. In this paper, we developed 2-mm-thick CdTe-DSDs, studied their response, and evaluated their energy resolution, spatial resolution, and uniformity. We also constructed a theoretical model to understand the detector response theoretically, resulting in reconstructing the DOI with an accuracy of 100 um while estimating the carrier-transport property. We realized the detector that has high energy resolution and high 3D spatial resolution with a uniform large imaging area.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2023

Further Evidence for the ~ 9 s Pulsation in LS 5039 from NuSTAR and ASCA

The present study aims to reinforce the evidence for the ~9 s pulsation in the gamma-ray binary LS 5039, derived with a Suzaku observation in 2007 and that with NuSTAR in 2016 (Yoneda et al 2000). Through a reanalysis of the NuSTAR data incorporating the orbital Doppler correction, the 9.0538 s pulsation was confirmed successfully even in the 3--10 keV range, where it was undetectable previously. This was attained by perceiving an energy-dependent drift in the pulse phase below 10 keV, and correcting the pulse timing of individual photons for that effect. Similarly, an archival 0.7--12 keV data set of LS 5039, taken with the ASCA GIS in 1999 October, was analyzed. The data showed possible periodicity at about 8.882 s, but again the energy-dependent phase drift was noticed below 10 keV. By correcting for this effect, and for the orbital Doppler delays in the LS 5039 system, the 2.8--12 keV periodicity became statistically significant at 8.891+- 0.001 s. The periods measured with ASCA, Suzaku, and NuSTAR approximately follow an average period derivative of dP/dt = 3.0 e-10 s/s. These results provide further evidence for the pulsation in this object, and strengthen the scenario by (Yoneda et al 2000), that the compact object in LS 5039 is a strongly magnetized neutron star.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Line profile of nuclear de-excitation gamma-ray emission from very hot plasma

De-excitation gamma-ray lines, produced by nuclei colliding with protons, provide information about astrophysical environments where particles have kinetic energies of $10-100$ MeV per nucleon. In general, such environments can be categorized into two types: the interaction between non-thermal MeV cosmic rays and ambient gas, and the other is thermal plasma with a temperature above a few MeV. In this paper, we focus on the latter type and investigate the production of de-excitation gamma-ray lines in very hot thermal plasma, especially the dependence of the line profile on the plasma temperature. We have calculated the line profile of prompt gamma rays from $^{12}$C and $^{16}$O and found that when nuclei have a higher temperature than protons, gamma-ray line profiles can have a complex shape unique to each nucleus species. This is caused by anisotropic gamma-ray emission in the nucleus rest frame. We propose that the spectroscopy of nuclear de-excitation gamma-ray lines may enable to probe energy distribution in very hot astrophysical plasmas. This diagnostics can be a new and powerful technique to investigate the physical state of a two-temperature accretion flows onto a black hole, especially the energy distributions of the protons and nuclei, which are difficult to access for any other diagnostics.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

The Compton Spectrometer and Imager

The Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) is a NASA Small Explorer (SMEX) satellite mission in development with a planned launch in 2027. COSI is a wide-field gamma-ray telescope designed to survey the entire sky at 0.2-5 MeV. It provides imaging, spectroscopy, and polarimetry of astrophysical sources, and its germanium detectors provide excellent energy resolution for emission line measurements. Science goals for COSI include studies of 0.511 MeV emission from antimatter annihilation in the Galaxy, mapping radioactive elements from nucleosynthesis, determining emission mechanisms and source geometries with polarization measurements, and detecting and localizing multimessenger sources. The instantaneous field of view for the germanium detectors is >25% of the sky, and they are surrounded on the sides and bottom by active shields, providing background rejection as well as allowing for detection of gamma-ray bursts and other gamma-ray flares over most of the sky. In the following, we provide an overview of the COSI mission, including the science, the technical design, and the project status.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

The cosipy library: COSI's high-level analysis software

The Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) is a selected Small Explorer (SMEX) mission launching in 2027. It consists of a large field-of-view Compton telescope that will probe with increased sensitivity the under-explored MeV gamma-ray sky (0.2-5 MeV). We will present the current status of cosipy, a Python library that will perform spectral and polarization fits, image deconvolution, and all high-level analysis tasks required by COSI's broad science goals: uncovering the origin of the Galactic positrons, mapping the sites of Galactic nucleosynthesis, improving our models of the jet and emission mechanism of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and detecting and localizing gravitational wave and neutrino sources. The cosipy library builds on the experience gained during the COSI balloon campaigns and will bring the analysis of data in the Compton regime to a modern open-source likelihood-based code, capable of performing coherent joint fits with other instruments using the Multi-Mission Maximum Likelihood framework (3ML). In this contribution, we will also discuss our plans to receive feedback from the community by having yearly software releases accompanied by publicly-available data challenges.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

The origin of long soft lags and the nature of the hard-intermediate state in black hole binaries

Fast variability of the X-ray corona in black hole binaries can produce a soft lag by reverberation, where the reprocessed thermalized disc photons lag behind the illuminating hard X-rays. This lag is small, and systematically decreases with increasing mass accretion rate towards the hard-soft transition, consistent with a decreasing truncation radius between the thin disc and X-ray hot inner flow. However, the soft lag suddenly increases dramatically just before the spectrum becomes disc-dominated (hard-intermediate state). Interpreting this as reverberation requires that the X-ray source distance from the disc increases dramatically, potentially consistent with switching to X-rays produced in the radio jet. However, this change in lag behaviour occurs without any clear change in hard X-ray spectrum, and before the plasmoid ejection event which might produce such a source (soft-intermediate state). Instead, we show how the soft lag can be interpreted in the context of propagation lags from mass accretion rate fluctuations. These normally produce hard lags, as the model has radial stratification, with fluctuations from larger radii modulating the harder spectra produced at smaller radii. However, all that is required to switch the sign is that the hottest Comptonized emission has seed photons which allow it to extend down in energy below the softer emission from the slower variable turbulent region from the inner edge of the disc. Our model connects the timing change to the spectral change, and gives a smooth transition of the X-ray source properties from the bright hard state to the disc-dominated states.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

A broadband X-ray imaging spectroscopy in the 2030s: the FORCE mission

In this multi-messenger astronomy era, all the observational probes are improving their sensitivities and overall performance. The Focusing on Relativistic universe and Cosmic Evolution (FORCE) mission, the product of a JAXA/NASA collaboration, will reach a 10 times higher sensitivity in the hard X-ray band ($E >$ 10~keV) in comparison with any previous hard X-ray missions, and provide simultaneous soft X-ray coverage. FORCE aims to be launched in the early 2030s, providing a perfect hard X-ray complement to the ESA flagship mission Athena. FORCE will be the most powerful X-ray probe for discovering obscured/hidden black holes and studying high energy particle acceleration in our Universe and will address how relativistic processes in the universe are realized and how these affect cosmic evolution. FORCE, which will operate over 1--79 keV, is equipped with two identical pairs of supermirrors and wideband X-ray imagers. The mirror and imager are connected by a high mechanical stiffness extensible optical bench with alignment monitor systems with a focal length of 12~m. A light-weight silicon mirror with multi-layer coating realizes a high angular resolution of $<15''$ in half-power diameter in the broad bandpass. The imager is a hybrid of a brand-new SOI-CMOS silicon-pixel detector and a CdTe detector responsible for the softer and harder energy bands, respectively. FORCE will play an essential role in the multi-messenger astronomy in the 2030s with its broadband X-ray sensitivity.

astro-ph.HE↗